1 Peter 3:3-4

“You adornment must not be merely external-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

 As one who enjoys looking presentable, I admire fashion.  I like nice things. I like shopping. I enjoy dressing up. I enjoy wearing clothing that compliment each other and compliment me. I often joke around that it’s a lot more fun being a girl when it comes to fashion because we have so many options! Sorry men!! ;-)

Close to a 200 billion dollar industry, fashion makes a BIG statement in our world. Season after season—new looks. New styles. New lingo.

Everywhere we turn, we are told that what we wear, how we wear it, how we look—all these things play a part in how we are perceived and received.

And I admit that I have found myself trying to keep up with the fashion wave. There are times where I’ve spent hours (even days) trying to find the perfect outfit for an event—confession is good for the soul right?

And in that moment, it always seems urgent but when I take a step back, and really consider the amount of time I invest in my outer appearance, I’ve  become convicted at the reality that I don’t think I would spend that amount of time even studying God’s word. Praying. Investing in someone.  Or better yet, understanding what it means to have inner beauty. Character. Class. Modesty.

I had to ask myself, how much investment do I make in cultivating my inner beauty? How much am I willing to dig deep to find ways to develop my character or would I rather take longer searching for those perfect shoes to match my outfit.

I don’t knock the desire to look fashionable. I’ve just become more convicted and saddened by the gradual progression of how fashion consumes us. And takes the place of our identity. And worse, how the pattern of this world has caused us to believe that our worth is derived by the pattern of the fabric we have on.

It seems like cultivating inner beauty has become a lost cause in this world.  It’s been over powered by the enticement of outer appearance.

 Fashion has become more than a statement, it’s become a way of life and for some reason, I don’t know if that sits well with me.

I read this scripture as Paul reminds the women of the church to consider their beauty to be more than the adorning of their out garments. I don’t believe he was reprimanding the idea and desire of us women (and men) desiring to look beautiful or handsome, but he says, “It must not be MERELY external….”   

Merely external is indicating that there has to be more to us than how we look on the outside. Paul is asking them to consider the importance of our inner disposition.

A disposition that doesn’t perish by time’s definition of what is in and what is out. Rather; a timeless disposition that withstands the fads that come and go as fast as we blink. It withstands the hurtful words that don’t make you feel beautiful.

When was the last time you asked yourself about your inner disposition?

Our heart is what wins the heart of God. Not how much we spend weekly on our hair or nails. Not how expensive our shoes are. Not how well complimented our dresses are.

Yes, please be fashionable if you desire. Feel pretty. Adorn yourself with beautiful jewelry…

 But please—not at the expense of your inner beauty wearing away.

Cultivate it in the same way you cultivate fashion. Search for those things that build character.

Let not the world make you believe that spending THAT much time on your outer beauty is worth it.

 The beautiful thing about God is we don’t have to hide behind any masquerade.  The inner beauty that we receive from God is within our vulnerabilities, within our weaknesses. Within our failures. That’s where inner beauty starts with God. And then through His grace and love, He fortifies those areas so that we are strong in Him. That’s where the confidence arises from. The understanding that you are valuable despite what you have on.

My beautiful sister—my handsome brother, let not our beauty or handsomeness be MERELY external, but let’s look within us and ask God to fill us with the imperishable qualities that is precious in His site.

One Comment

  • Rae on Oct 11, 2013 Reply

    So true sista.
    Been having conversations with myself about this A LOT lately.

    Working on this and praying for God to shine light on my heart when I need his truth to change my mindset on this.

    <3

    :)

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